BECKLEY, W.Va. — Mellissa Krystynak, 49, of St. Lucie, Florida, has been sentenced to six months in federal prison for a calculated mail fraud scheme that poisoned the integrity of West Virginia’s public education system. While working as a school counselor at Greenbrier West High School in Charmco, Krystynak exploited her access to student records to inflate at least 34 of her oldest daughter’s grades, paving a fraudulent path to over $20,000 in college scholarships.
The scheme unfolded between 2011 and 2017, years when Krystynak held a trusted position at the rural Greenbrier County school. With administrative access to the school’s grading software, she manipulated transcripts not only for her own child but also altered the record of her younger daughter’s boyfriend—changing a withdrawn course into an ‘A’ despite no academic completion. The falsified records were then mailed to scholarship boards, triggering disbursements based on lies.
U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart didn’t mince words: ‘A college admission scandal right here in West Virginia. Hiking a daughter’s grades and changing a daughter’s boyfriend’s grades are both new ones on me.’ He added, ‘Krystynak abused her position of authority to inflate her daughter’s grades… Everyone deserves a level playing field.’ The message was clear—privilege doesn’t grant permission to gut the system.
Krystynak’s fraud netted her daughter more than ten separate scholarships, all awarded under false pretenses. The money, intended for deserving students, was siphoned through applications laced with fabricated academic performance. The fallout extends beyond dollars: it undermines trust in school officials and taints the achievements of honest students clawing their way toward higher education.
U.S. District Judge Irene Berger handed down the sentence, which includes $13,750 in restitution to the defrauded scholarship organizations and a $5,000 fine. The prosecution was led by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel Wohl and current prosecutor Steve Loew. The investigation was driven by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General, which rarely sees such brazen abuse from within the education ranks.
This case marks a stark warning: even in quiet towns like Charmco, corruption can fester behind desks once thought immune. Krystynak’s betrayal wasn’t just of policy—it was of duty, of ethics, of the kids who sat in classrooms trusting their counselor to guide them, not game the system for personal gain.
Related Federal Cases
- WV Biz Owner Cashed In on COVID Chaos · West Virginia
- WV Biz Owner Pilfered $300K in COVID Funds · Alabama
- Wheeling Truck Boss Cashes in on COVID Chaos · West Virginia
- Wheeling Trucker Pilfered $300K in COVID Relief · West Virginia
- 23andMe Faces Legal Fire for Genetic Data Sale · Washington
Key Facts
- State: West Virginia
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News